Former Brown's hotel in Loch Sheldrake could get historic status

One-time gem of Borscht Belt largely forgotten

LOCH SHELDRAKE — A small group of residents of the Grandview Palace condos, formerly Brown's hotel, make their way cautiously over a step that leads to the old Jerry Lewis Theatre, located in the basement of the building, on Saturday afternoon.

Comment

By STEPHEN SACCO

recordonline.com

By STEPHEN SACCO

Posted Jun. 21, 2009 at 2:00 AM

By STEPHEN SACCO
Posted Jun. 21, 2009 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

LOCH SHELDRAKE — A small group of residents of the Grandview Palace condos, formerly Brown's hotel, make their way cautiously over a step that leads to the old Jerry Lewis Theatre, located in the basement of the building, on Saturday afternoon.

Their nostrils are greeted by the faint order of mildew, but there's an even stronger sensation — of nostalgia. "I haven't been down here since 1963," said Mel Pearlman, who was on his honeymoon in 1963.

In the 1920s through the early 1970s, when the Borscht Belt was in its heyday, the theater was a lively spot. Today it sits dark and empty, in ill-repair but mostly intact.

Condo resident Janice Teisch says that most of the people who bought at the Grandview had fond memories of the old Catskills.

There is a movement among current residents to get the building — said to be the last surviving Borscht Belt hotel — onto the New York State Historic Registry.

The historical significance of the hotel — where Jerry Lewis once had an apartment — isn't doubted by the people who live there.

But resident Phyllis Haimann, who was on a committee to get the Grandview on the state registry, wonders if the building itself has gone through too many renovation.

The 500-plus-room hotel was converted into 396 condos 13 years ago after enduring a period of decay. But nobody has touched the basement. The theater — with its grand chandelier and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, large stage and tiny nightclub tables — is like a location from a 1940s movie. The old, empty, Brown Derby is across from the theater. Its smaller stage hosted some of the comedy greats of the day.

Dan Keefe, a spokesman for the New York State Historic Preservation Office, says the state is aware of a pending application, but has yet to carefully consider the old hotel for the registry.

"This represents a lifestyle that survived over 40 years," said resident Anita Dunn, when asked about the hotel's importance, as she looked around at the last remnants of a bygone era.